Kaeng
Krachan National Park, in Petchaburi and Prachuab Kiri
Khan provinces, is the largest National Park in Thailand, occupying
2915 square kilometres (1125 sq. miles); this is possibly Thailand's
premier forest birdwatching location due the quantity and quality
of species that have been found there.

Most of the forest here is in an excellent condition and consists
of evergreen tree species, although a number of deciduous species
are also present, particularly in the lower elevations of the
park. Kaeng Krachan's location on the border with Myanmar means
it is part of a much larger forest complex than just the National
Park and an excellent refuge for a huge number of species, including
many of Asia's rarest mammals and birds; indeed Kaeng Krachan
is part of one of the largest remaining stretches of forest
in Southeast Asia and as such this location is of international
conservation importance.

Kaeng
Krachan is within three hours of Bangkok so it is just about possible
to visit it as a day trip if one leaves before 5am, although it is
much better to stay 2-3 days and take time to explore the forest -
and it is worth visiting during the week to avoid the weekend traffic.
It is possible to see an enormous number of species here by getting
to many different altitudes and 100 species in a day is a real possibility
but would perhaps be too much of a rush to enjoy fully.

Birding
Highlights

Kaeng
Krachan National Park is home to a huge number and range of species
and is a place where some species that are rarely seen anywhere else
in Thailand can be found with patience. This is where many southern
species have their northernmost outposts as well as being where many
other species are at their southernmost extremity. Kaeng Krachan is
also the only place in Thailand where Ratchet-tailed Treepie can be
seen, this species normally being found in Indochina.

A
number of exciting ground-dwelling species inhabit the lush
forests here but are extremely hard to find, with Grey Peacock-Pheasant,
Kalij Pheasant, Ferruginous Partridge, Blue Pitta and Eared
Pitta all being found - but only by a lucky few; most people
only see these species after many visits to the park. Giant
Pitta has also been seen here but sightings are EXTREMELY rare,
only once every few years at most. The mid and upper storeys
of the forest are also very productive in birding terms with
many species from a wide range of bird families occurring. Great
Slaty Woodpecker, Orange-breasted Trogon and Banded Broadbill
are all regularly seen and more species are being added to the
park list every year as more birders explore this wonderful
habitat. There are so many good birds to see here that a visit
of at least 2-3 days is essential as well as birding at different
altitudes to maximise the number of species seen.

Hornbills are some of the most memorable birds in Thailand and
Kaeng Krachan presents the opportunity to see Great, Oriental
Pied and Wreathed Hornbills. Tickell's Brown Hornbills are present
but more scarce, listen for them and you may be lucky.

Another
distinct speciality of Kaeng Krachan national park are the Broadbills.
These spectacular birds are extremely difficult to find outside
of the breeding season, but when they are nest-building, from
mid February to July, Dusky, Silver-breasted, Banded, Black-and-red,
Black-and-yellow and Long-tailed Broadbills become easier to
find; even Green Broadbill has been seen by some lucky observers.
Of course, there is also a good range of commoner birds here
with bulbuls, leafbirds, laughingthrushes, flycatchers, babblers,
warblers and woodpeckers all well represented.

With such extensive, high-quality forest there is still a good
mammal population here. Many species of squirrel can be found
including the amazing Black Giant Squirrel which looks more
like a dog in a tree with Dusky Langurs, Banded Langurs and
White-handed Gibbon often seen leaping around in the canopy.
Tigers, tapirs and elephants are still present in Kaeng Krachan,
although seldom seen, and there are even rumours that Sumatran
Rhinoceros, one of the world's most endangered mammals, still
roams the forest but Kaeng Krachan does present visitors with
one of the best chances of seeing Leopard in Southeast Asia.

A
checklist of the birds for this location can be found here - Kaeng
Krachan

Bird
Watching Trips:If you need help organizing a bird watching
trip to Thailand, take a look at the suggested itineraries
for ideas on creating a tailor-made trip and contact me
for advice: Thailand
bird tours.

Kaeng
Krachan National Park can be reached within 3 hours of Bangkok if
leaving early in the morning and driving a private vehicle. The
simplest way is to get onto Rama 2 road and join the Petkasem Highway
heading towards Petchaburi for about two hours; continue through Petchaburi
until the town of Tha Yang where there are signposts to Panoen Tung
in Kaeng Krachan National Park. of the Petkasem highway and follow
the road to a strangely angled junction - bear right here and continue
until reaching the dam. Follow the signs to Bang Krang camp and Panoen
Tung. The route shown on the map above goes from Tha Yang to Panoen
Tung via Ban Maka, Ban Song Nok, Samarn Bird Camp, the entrance gate
and Ban Krang camp.

Arriving by public transport is also possible, but will incur some
expense. From Bangkok take a bus to Petchaburi from the Southern
bus terminal. From Petchaburi one must charter a songtaew to the National
Park which should cost in the region of 1000 baht one way. Finding
a songtaew will take a little effort but walking around the bus station
asking to go to Kaeng Krachan National Park should get the right response.
Taxis/songtaews for charter also wait at the town clock tower. If
communication is a problem show the songtaew drivers the Thai script
for the park: Kaeng
Krachan National Park Thai Script.

At park HQ, or the park gate, entrance fees can be sorted out and
at weekends there are drivers who offer a taxi service up and down
the mountain and I'm sure the staff at HQ can contact some of them
during the week. These drivers charge 1500 baht for a half day or
2000 baht for a full day (2016 prices). If this is not possible continue
with your songtaew charter to the campsite (it will cost extra though).

For those wishing to head to the campsite at Km 30 (Panoen Tung) timing
is important. From Ban Krang campsite the road is narrow and in varying
states of repair and certain times are allotted for ascent and descent.
Times for going up are 5.30-7.30 am and 1-3 pm. Times for going down
are 9-10 am and 4-5 pm. As of 2015 driving up the road to Panoen Tung
is only allowed in a vehicle with good ground clearance, a pick up
or 4-wheel drive vehicle, not a standard saloon car or minivan. The
state of the road does vary from time to time and one may read in
some trip reports that driving to the top in a saloon car was possible,
it is best to assume that the road will be fairly poor quality in
places and loose stones on corners in particular can make it difficult
to get enough traction; the park rangers will not allow visitors to
drive up in unsuitable vehicles any longer. The road to Ban Krang
is sealed all the way these days but attempting to cross the streams
past Bang Krang campsite should be done with extreme caution as the
entry and exits from the fords are quite steep - quite a number of
visitors have ripped parts of their cars' bodywork off at these streams.

For those driving in and out of the park every day the gate opens
at 5.30am and closes at 7pm, although it is advisable to be out before
that due to the potential danger of elephants on the road, indeed
you may find the rangers have locked the gate if you reach it after
7pm.

Finding
Birds

Such
is the quality of the habitat at Kaeng Krachan that a large number
of interesting birds will be seen anywhere in the park, however, there
are few special locations for a few particular species.

Ratchet-tailed
Treepie can only be seen at the highest altitudes of the national
park and has often been spotted near the Royal Lodge a short
walk from Panoen Tung campsite, close to the restaurant at Panoen
Tung and in the vicinity of Km 27 to Km 29. It has also been
seen as low down as Km 24.

Grey Peacock-Pheasant, Pittas and Partridges are most often
found in the gullies and clearings in the forest within a few
kilometres of Ban Krang campsite and the streams in this vicinity
are a good place to search for some of the rarer Kingfishers
during the breeding season. All these species are really hard
to find and on a short visit one would do well to see more than
1 of these species.

It is worth noting that the majority of the birding is from
the road and at weekends constant traffic can make birdwatching
quite unpleasant, dusty and difficult. The park is to be completely
avoided on public holidays when it becomes very busy and difficult
to bird along the road.

Headquarters:
The headquarters is some distance outside the forest itself and really
is not the prime birding spot for this site. However, some wetland
and open-country species can be seen around here and it is worth exploring
a little if waiting for transport up the mountain or there has been
some other delay. Egrets, Pond Herons and Pipits can all be seen here
and colourful birds such as Indian Roller and White-throated Kingfisher
are typical residents. Black-collared Starling and Vinous-breasted
Starling can be found here too and and even some forest species, such
as Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush and
Large Scimitar Babbler, can be found with luck in the thorny forest
nearby.

Entry
Roads: The roads from HQ to the park gate pass
through farmland and forest fragments. Whilst the national park proper
is the main attraction, some interesting species can be found along
here. Indochinese Bushlark, Greater Coucal and Paddyfield Pipit are
all quite common while Indian Rollers and White-throated Kingfishers
will be seen on the overhead wires. Some of the grassier areas contain
Grey-breasted Prinia, Lesser Coucal and Bright-headed Cisticola, and
listen out for Chinese Francolin calling, you may be able to track
one down or see it crossing a road. Sooty-headed Bulbul is common
and both Black-collared and Vinous-breasted Starlings are around,
although not abundant. At night Large-tailed Nightjars can be seen
on the road itself and Spotted Owlets are fairly easy to find too.

Ban
Song Nok: A few kilometres outside of the national
park Ban Song Nok is a private garden and guesthouse owned by "Auntie
Ek". She maintains a waterhole and blind as well as providing
daily food to birds, meaning that this is usually a hotspot for certain
species, particuarly if the weather has been dry.

Ban
Song Nok is a popular spot so you usually need to book places
at her blind in advance, but she does not mind people just turning
up to have a word with her and book the hide; if there is nobody
there already you can usually go straight in. Red Junglefowl,
Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush, Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush,
Kalij Pheasant, Bar-backed Partridge, Scaly-breasted Partridge
and Siberian Blue Robin are all regular visitors here in the
dry season, along with many commoner species, and Red-legged
Crake often shows up in the wet season.

Birds at Ban Song Nok are not confined to the blind area with
the garden providing plenty of habitat and adjoining the forest.
Birds such as Golden-fronted Leafbird, Lineated Barbet, Banded
Bay Cuckoo, Tickell's Blue Flycatcher and Common Flameback all
being regularly seen - Orange-bellied Flowerpecker will be feeding
on fruit in the wet season - so it is worth having a look around
for some of these species before or after you sit at the blind.

It costs 200 baht per person to visit the blind at Ban Song
Nok and flash photography is not usually allowed as it can disturb
some species, particularly the shy partridges - ask before using
flash.

Lung Sin Waterhole:
This artificial waterhole is little more than a bird bath in the forest
but during the dry season it attracts a profusion of birds. Activity
here can be at high levels throughout the day with species such as
Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush, Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush,
Scaly-breasted Partridge, Bar-backed Partridge, Large Scimitar Babbler,
Kalij Pheasant, Tickell's Blue Flycatcher, Siberian Blue Robin and
many other commoner birds all being regular.

There can be surprises here too with a Slaty-legged Crake regular
in some years and birds such as Green Magpie, Grey-headed Woodpecker,
Streak-breasted Woodpecker and Besra all turning up from time
to time.

Apart from the fact that a visit to this spot gives the chance
to see some rare and secretive species, it is fantastic for
photographers with close-range and clear views of all the birds.
It is also a great place for birdwatchers to get really good
views of commoner birds such as Puff-throated Babbler, Black-naped
Monarch and Abbott's Babbler instead of the brief glimpses one
often obtains in the forest.

Access to the hide here is strictly by appointment only, so
I will not give directions as turning up without booking first
would cause a problem; to book yourself into this hide it is
best to do so through Gunn at Ban Maka or Samarn at Samarn Bird
Camp.

It costs 200 baht per person to visit Lung Sin Waterhole and
flash photography is not allowed unless you want to book the
whole hide out yourself as it deters the more secretive species
from coming to bathe and drink.

Road
to Bang Krang: This road passes through disturbed
forest which is worth spending some time in to find many of the more
common birds and a few of the less common ones. In the early morning
there is usually a lot of bird activity along this road and it offers
a good opportunity to see Thick-billed Green Pigeon, Black-naped Oriole,
Greater Flameback, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Greater Yellownape, Hill
Myna and Golden-crested Myna perching on exposed trees catching the
early morning sunshine.

Black-thighed Falconets can often be found at a couple of points along
this road; look out for them perched upon dead snags - they use old
woodpecker holes as nest sites. Areas of forest near water along here
are the best places to see Black-and-red Broadbill which is a fabulous
bird that builds its messy nest over pools and streams - it is easiest
to see between March and July.

Fruiting
trees along this stretch of road attract a variety of species
Green-eared Barbets, Asian Fairy Bluebirds, Oriental Pied and
Great Hornbills, Stripe-throated Bulbuls and Hill Mynas to mention
but a few and when a tree which is bearing fruit is found it
is worth waiting some time to see what turns up.

The area around Kilometre 9, where there is a sharp bend in
the road and a small bridge over some water is one of the best
spots along this road for bird watching; it is just before the
road turns into a dirt track.

It is also worth driving out of the park an hour before dusk
so that there is time to stop along this road when birds are
spotted. Woodpeckers seem to be active right up until dark and
several species can often be found along here at this time including
Lesser Yellownape, Common Flameback and Streak-breasted Woodpecker.
Both Large-tailed and Great Eared Nightjars can easily be found
along this area just before dark and a number of owls can be
heard calling including Spot-bellied Eagle Owl and Collared
Scops Owl, but there will not be much time to find them before
you must be off the road.

Bang
Krang Campsite: Birders will know that it is often
in and around campsites that bird abundance is at its highest due
to the "edge effect" and at Bang Krang this can often be
true. In the dry season many flocking species can be obvious here
with Scarlet Minivet, Blue-winged Leafbird, Black-winged Cuckooshrike,
Swinhoe's Minivet and a variety of Leaf Warblers in almost every flock.
Sultan Tits frequently show themselves to be very confiding here with
both Taiga and Asian Brown Flycatchers lurking around in low trees.

Early
morning bird activity can be very high here, particularly if
there are fruiting trees around. Blue-eared Barbet, Green-eared
Barbet, Asian Fairy Bluebird, Thick-billed Green Pigeon, Black-crested
Bulbul, Stripe-throated Bulbul and Blue-winged Leafbird are
always interested in these types of trees and other species,
even hornbills, are likely to turn up and feed on fruiting trees
here.

Blue-bearded Bee-eaters usually frequent this campsite too;
sometimes they are obvious, sometimes a little more searching
is required. In the shady areas around the campsite Hainan Blue
Flycatcher can usually be found in the dry season and for those
of you who like Leaf Warblers, the low tress here offer the
chance to get to grips with Yellow-browed, Two-barred Greenish,
Claudia's and Eastern Crowned Warblers.

Several species of woodpecker can often be found here, with
Grey-headed (Black-naped), Greater Yellownape, Common Flameback,
Heart-spotted Woodpecker and Greater Flameback all being frequent
and during the breeding season Silver-breasted, Black-and-yellow
and Banded Broadbills can often be found. Whatever the time
of year, though, a morning here is excellent for getting aquainted
with many of the commoner forest birds and obtaining photos
of them.

From the campsite a track crosses the stream and provides access
to a seldom-visited part of the forest. At the stream crossing
itself a small flock of White-rumped Munias are often to be
found and along the track sightings of Black-and-red Broadbill
are frequent. This is also a good area to look for Puff-throated
Babbler, Violet Cuckoo, Orange-breasted Trogon, Streak-breasted
Woodpecker and Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush. From the clearing
at the "Youth Camp" it is often possible to see Grey-rumped
Treeswifts flying around as well as many of the birds that also
occur in the campsite. It is difficult to walk quietly on the
tracks around this area as they are made of gravel and in the
dry season they are covered in dead leaves. However, the track
goes for a long way and the adventurous may find something exciting
there and Blue Pitta has been photographed here in the past.

At
night the campsite can be good for those that like night birding.
Large-tailed Nightjars are common; listen for their call which sounds
like a resonant "chonk, chonk" and Great Eared Nightjar
can sometimes be seen cruising around just before it gets dark. Other
night birds here include Asian Barred Owlet, Collared Owlet, Brown
Hawk Owl, Collared Scops Owl and, for some lucky birders, Oriental
Bay Owl and White-fronted Scops Owl (see below).

Looking
For White-fronted Scops Owl: Kaeng
Krachan is one of the few places where birdwatchers have
a chance of seeing this rare and secretive species. The
owls can often be heard uttering their strange drumming
call at night around the campsite and along the road near
streams 1 and 2. However, in my opinion, walking along
the road in the dark will eventually result in a birder
getting crushed by elephants, so it is best to search
for this bird in the campsite where many birders have
found it.

Since March 2011 two White-fronted Scops Owls have been
frequently viewed by large numbers of birders and photographers
at a daytime roost near stream 2; please view these birds
quietly and refrain from using flash.

If the staked-out birds have moved on then this species
also calls and responds to call playback at dawn, throughout
the morning and even in the middle of the day; contrary
to what may be said about these owls I have heard them
calling at all times of the day on many occasions.

Stream
Crossings 1 to 3: Shortly after passing out of the
campsite some moist forest is entered, which continues past the third
stream crossing to the point at which the road begins to climb uphill;
this is where many of the "best" birds are most regularly
encountered. Tickell's Brown Hornbills often frequent this area and
it is probably the best area of the park for seeing Orange-breasted
Trogon which can often be seen sitting quietly out in the open.

This stretch of forest has a good helping of woodpeckers that can
be seen, although thick vegetation and high trees can make them hard
to see. Many species of woodpecker in Thailand join flocks and if
you locate groups of Lesser and Greater Necklaced Laughingthrushes
there is a decent chance that a woodpecker or two may be with them.
Streak-breasted Woodpecker often joins these groups and sometimes
any of the following may also join the party: Rufous Woodpecker, Buff-rumped
Woodpecker, Greater Flameback, Common Flameback, Greater Yellownape,
Crimson-winged Woodpecker, Banded Woodpecker, Heart-spotted Woodpecker.
This is also a great area to find Great Slaty Woodpecker; a bird which
is very reminiscent of a Pterosaur!

Ochraceous Bulbul is a bird that is common here and due to its restricted
range you may not see it anywhere else; other bulbuls which are frequently
seen along this tretch are Grey-eyed, Black-crested, Black-headed
and Stripe-throated.

In the dry season bird abundance can sometimes be high along here
in the morning with small species flocking together to feed. Swinhoe's
Minivet, Blue-winged Leafbird, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Sulphur-breasted
Warbler, Eastern Crowned Warbler, Pin-striped Tit Babbler, Asian Paradise
Flycatcher are just a few of the species which can be seen in most
flocks. These flocks start to disappear as species begin to migrate
and pair up to breed.

The
breeding season (March to July for most species) is far better
here than November to early March when most birders visit for
searching for many of those colourful resident species that
many birders see in the field guide and are high on the "wish
list". Broadbills in particular become far easier to see
at this time with Silver-breasted Broadbill becoming abundant
and easy to see from the end of February onwards. Many pairs
of Banded Broadbills are present along here and call noisily
throughout the day when they are pairing up. A few pairs of
Black-and-yellow Broadbills make a stunning interlude if you
can spot them up in the canopy and you may be lucky enough to
find a group of Dusky Broadbills too. All of the broadbills
make quite conspicuous nests consisting of a hanging mass of
vegetation, suspended by a single piece of vine or branch, often
directly over the road!

For those that wish to see forest kingfishers, this area gives
you a decent chance in the breeding season. Banded Kingfisher
can always be found but you must be patient, they sit still
for ages and are eaily missed. Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher (the
black-backed version) is absent for most of the year but it
always turns up in mid March and is progressively easier to
see as the nesting season proceeds.

Most
visiting birders are keen to see Pittas but it should be known that
these are extremely difficult birds to see. Outside of the breeding
season the only Pitta that there is a realistic chance of seeing is
Blue Pitta and even that is seen very infrequently until it begins
calling in late February to March. From late April to early May Blue-winged
Pittas and Hooded Pittas begin to arrive from further south and are
fairly easily seen as they will call loudly from perches in trees.
In the heart of the breeding season (June/July) Eared Pitta usually
becomes findable and of course we can all dream of seeing Giant Pitta
along here, and for the vast majority that is all it is - a dream!

Green Magpie is a bird straight out of a child's colouring book and
it can usually be found along this piece of road, although it can
be remarkably elusive considering how noisy it is. Crested Jay is
an uncommon prize here too but it is seen on a semi frequent basis
in this area.

Whilst there are many great birds to be found along this stretch of
road I do not want to create the impression that you will see many
of these species on any one visit. Most of these birds are very hard
to find and it will take many visits to see even half of them and
at times it is possible to walk for several kilometres and see virtually
nothing.

Km 27.5:
At kilometre Km 27.5 there is an obvious place to park a
car; the spot is marked by a battered sign featuring a bird silhouette.
From here up and down the road for about 1 kilometre is an excellent
place to find Ratchet-tailed Treepie. This species can be difficult
to find and very reluctant to show itself but several pairs are usually
in the area. Long-tailed Broadbill is like something from a fairytale
and frequently nests here and birders are hardly likely to forget
Red-headed Trogon or Red-bearded Bee-eater if they either of these
birds here.

A
huge tree is just to the right of the road a few hundred metres
uphill of the parking spot, and if it is fruiting it is a great
place to see Great Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill, Great Barbet,
Asian Fairy Bluebird, Mountain Imperial Pigeon and if you are
very lucky, perhaps Yellow-vented Pigeon or even Silver Oriole.

In the shrub layer along the road Radde's Warbler is common
in winter and Collared Babbler can be found at any time of year;
Golden, Buff-breasted, Grey-throated and Spot-necked Babblers
are also resident at this altitude. If you are really lucky
you may get a view of either Rufous-browed Flycatcher or Rusty-naped
Pitta; both are fairly abundant in this area but they are really
skulking and shy.

Bird waves can occur in this area and usually contain Grey-chinned
Minivet, Speckled Piculet, White-throated Fantail, White-browed
Scimitar-babbler, White-crested Laughingthrush and Yellow-bellied
Warbler; in the dry season these are also usually joined by
Sulphur-breasted Warbler and Swinhoe's Minivet. The smaller
birds will frequently give away the location of Collared Owlet
as they mob it.

At times it can seem like there are no birds at all along here,
but with patience there are a large number of excellent species
can be found.

Panoen
Tung Campsite: There are some magnificent views
over the forest from this altitude and often lots of birds too. The
campsite itself is a great spot for Barbets with Blue-throated and
Blue-eared very easily seen and Great Barbet often calling noisily
from treetops. Several other species can nearly always be easily seen
here with Flavescent Bulbul, Blyth's (White-browed) Shrike-babbler,
Mountain Bulbul, Orange-bellied Leafbird and Streaked Spiderhunter
ever present. Migrant species which can commonly be seen here include
Dark-sided Flycatcher, which is amazingly loyal to its favourite perches,
Blue Rock Thrush and Ashy Drongo. This is also a great spot for actually
getting a view of Vernal Hanging Parrot perched in a tree instead
of seeing it zipping across the canopy.

Several view points here provide a great opportunity to view across
the forest and into the canopy.

The view point at the gate has a little shelter so it is a good place
to sit and watch if it is raining and a few trees here regularly attract
Bulbuls, Leafbirds, Barbets, Asian Fairy Bluebird and other fruit-eating
species.

The campsite view point 1 overlooks a stand of trees all of
which bear fruit and if you are here at the right time they
will be full of Barbets, Bulbuls and frequently Thick-billed
and Yellow-vented Green Pigeons will join the party.

The restaurant view point is excellent and offers a great view
over some lovely forest. This is a great place to sit and wait
for birds to arrive in the middle of the day and several species
of raptors are likely to be spotted when the conditions are
right; Mountain Hawk Eagle, Rufous-bellied Eagle and Black Baza
often show here. Hornbills are also likely to be spotted from
here as they fly across the forest - Great and Wreathed Hornbills
are frequent but be careful not to string Plain-pouched Hornbill
as the stripe on the throat of Wreathed is very hard to see
in flight and many of the id features in Robson's Field Guide
are incorrect. Genuine sightings of this species at Kaeng Krachan
are exceptionally rare. Smaller birds will also be seen while
sitting here with Blyth's Shrike-babbler, Grey Treepie, Fire-breasted
Flowerpecker and Dark-sided Flycatcher are highly likely to
be spotted in an afternoon session at this relaxing place.

The campsite view point 2 looks out towards Myanmar and again,
Raptors and Hornbills can often be spotted while in the surrounding
trees Bulbuls and Barbets are frequent. This view point has
no shelter so is exposed to the rain and sun making it less
attractive to birders than the other view points which all have
seating and shelter.

There is a short nature trail which starts a few hundred metres
before the Panoen Tung checkpoint and goes through some very
nice forest. The short walk along here can often turn up mixed
flocks of birds including species such as Collared Babbler,
Black-throated Laughingthrush, White-browed Scimitar-babbler,
Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo and Golden Babbler - Ratchet-tailed
Treepie sometimes joins these flocks too so be vigilant. The
open understorey here is a good place to look for the skulking
Rufous-browed Flycatcher; difficult to see but surprisingly
common at this location.

Km
34-36: The road continues past the campsite for a
few kilometres to a trail to TorTip waterfall; the section between
kilometres 34 and 36 being perhaps the best and the open areas afford
some lovely views over the forest providing the opportunity to scan
for raptors - Rufous-bellied Eagle is seen more often here than most
places, Grey-headed Fish Eagle is rare but Mountain Hawk Eagle, Oriental
Honey-buzzard, Crested Goshawk, Grey-faced Buzzard are all frequently
seen and when raptors are migrating other species, particularly Chinese
Sparrowhawk, Japanese Sparrowhawk and Black Baza, are highly likely.

It is worthwhile looking out for bamboo which has reached the flowering
stage as this is favored by Pin-tailed Parrotfinch. In most years
there is a clump of bamboo which flowers for a few months before dying
and this always attracts these colorful little birds which are extremely
difficult to see otherwise.

A few pairs of the stunning Red-bearded Bee-eater occupy this area,
they are easiest to locate when breeding but can show up at any time,
and other species such as Yellow-vented Green Pigeon, Wreathed Hornbill,
Great Hornbill and various barbets will turn up in the fruting trees
along here.

Most of the reports of Plain-pouched Hornbill come from this area;
in my opinion the vast majority (all?) of these reports are misidentified
Wreathed Hornbills. It can be very hard to see the stripe on the pouch
of some Wreathed Hornbills and many of them also show the brownish
base to the bill that the field guide suggests is an id feature. I
was once fooled into thinking I had seen a Plain-pouched Hornbill
here due to this feature but a photo was obtained and when we zoomed
in we could see the stripe on the pouch which confirmed it as Wreathed
Hornbill.

The trail to Tortip waterfall goes through some nice forest where
some of the southern species at the northernmost limit of their range
are sometimes seen with Streaked Bulbul, Black-and-yellow Broadbill,
Red-throated Barbet and Maroon-breasted Philentoma all having been
seen.

Facilities

Facilities
within the national park are limited. At park headquarters there are
a few bungalows but the quality of these are pretty low. There is
also a decent campsite at HQ with good toilet facilities for those
that are required to wait here for any reason. However, park HQ is
some distance from the birding and most birders will want to get to
Ban Krang campsite which is pleasantly situated with enough flat areas
to pitch tents but with limited toilet facilities. Food is usually
available from the small restaurant but they do sometimes run out
of food after the weekend, so it is worth bringing cooking equipment
and food if staying for a few days without your own transport. There
is camping equipment for hire; tents, sleeping bags etc. but some
of the tents are very poor so don't be scared to ask for another one
if the first one you get is little more than a plastic bag and some
sticks. The campsite at Panoen Tung is considerably better, with good
tents for hire and a small restaurant and clean toilets and showers.
Petchaburi is a suitable place to stock up on food for the camping
trip with a large supermarket (Big C) on the main highway to the south.
The closest ATM is at park HQ and there is a decent small hospital
close to Kaeng Krachan municipality.

For
those wishing to stay in comfort then Ban
Maka is an excellent option and closer to the park
gate (approx 10 minute drive) than many other guesthouses with
good food and friendly owners who speak good English and go
out of their way to help guests with any sensible request. Samarn
Bird Camp is also a good option for birdwatchers,
with good quality rooms, good food and helpful owners; this
has the added bonus of being very close to the park gate. Both
of these guesthouses are used to catering to birdwatchers and
will provide early breakfasts and assistance in visiting the
forest. There are a couple of rooms available at Ban
Song Nok too and "Auntie Ek" will probably
provide food as she is very friendly, although I have never
eaten there myself.

Nearby Padang camp is also a useful place to stay and has wireless
internet available for those that need it. There are also a
wide selection of guesthouses further from the park gate, near
the dam, that are all pleasant enough if all other options are
exhausted; it does, however, take about 25-30 minutes to drive
to the park gate from this area. Staying at any guesthouse does
involve travelling into the park every morning and paying the
entrance fee every day.

Birdwatching
Trips:Kaeng Krachan is a must-visit location
for birdwatching trips in Thailand whether as part of
a longer itinerary or for just a few days from Bangkok.
Each time of year has its specialities but there is always
something good to see at Kaeng Krachan.

Take a look at some suggested itineraries and contact
me for more information: Thailand
bird tours.